


Final Fantasy: A Retelling

by niya



Series: Final Fantasy: A Retelling [1]
Category: Final Fantasy I
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-05
Updated: 2014-05-15
Packaged: 2018-01-22 02:09:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 22,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1572155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niya/pseuds/niya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A tale of the Light Warriors from their battle with Garland through to adventures unknown.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Trial of Sir Garland

I grew up in the country, and the walk to and from the school was long enough that I’d have to wake, on most days, prior to sunrise so that I could make it to my lessons on time.

Those days now feel as though they were little more than a step outside my front door.

The hike from Cornelia to the crumbling, and eerily named “Temple of Fiends” should have been my first hint that our journey was not to be simple or easy in any way possible.

Before I continue, however, I want to speak a bit about my first day with the others.

I was, and likely remain, naive. Within hours of having met the others, they led me to meet the King and Queen of the city.

Now, I’d been living in Cornelia for several weeks, and the castle is visible from nearly everywhere, but I never thought for even a moment that I’d enter it. Yet, here I was, only hours after meeting these other people who, like myself, were carrying these darkened crystals, walking through the gates of the castle.

It might have only been my imagination, but the guards seemed to regard me as suspicious, and, indeed, I still have no idea what the others said that allowed us to, quite frankly, walk through the castle freely with only one individual following us in case we needed help.

Or so I assume. I never actually spoke with them either.

The Queen, who I’d only seen in paintings and heard about by way of stories, which were quite often stories by friends of a friend, was far from her regal public self, but was inconsolably in distress to the point that I could only understand that something had happen to her daughter.

The King was more composed, but it was clear he was also worried. He told us of a knight who had, suddenly, kidnapped their daughter and ran off to the “Temple of Fiends”, and that he had barricaded himself inside the altar room.

He also said that this knight, Sir Garland, had now slain… well, far too many soldiers who had attempted to rescue the princess.

It sounded so surreal, to hear the story. This knight, a highly decorated and trusted warrior, had not only kidnapped the Crown Princess, and slaughtered her would be rescuers, but also allowed others to return so that the King would know she was still alive and, aside from her confinement, unharmed and healthy.

What was going on here?

The King pleaded with us to rescue his daughter, and told us that the Prophecy had told that we would come, and that the Princess would be kidnapped, and that, if we were truly the Light Warriors, that we would rescue her.

I feel it necessarily to point out that, up until that moment, I’d never heard of Light Warriors or this prophecy, and wondered, exactly, who had discerned it.

We left before daybreak, at the insistence of our leader.

I asked him if we would make camp by the Temple and not only he, but the others in the group, looked at me as if I’d told the worst joke they had ever heard, before our leader said, we will rescue the princess today and return before nightfall.

I can’t remember my exact reaction to that, but I’m sure it was saying something about how unbelievable that was, and how I’d never make it.

They didn’t stop, however, and we not only hiked, through forests, across grasslands, and even across some wetland, but we did it at breakneck speed.

When we arrived, I remember that I was given only minutes to take a brief rest, drink some water and eat a small snack, before we made our way into the temple itself.

I think I shall spare you the detailed description of the structure, which was, surely, once a magnificent creation, and now was not only, quite literally, falling apart, but was also filled with air that was thick with the smell of rot and decay.

Out of the corners of my eye I thought I saw skeletons, and worse, moving around, though our leader led us directly ahead, and, thankfully, I didn’t meet any of them.

When we arrived into the altar room, we saw that the princess had been bound, but there was plenty of food for her, as well as drink. Whether the creatures from outside didn’t venture in because of the room itself, Sir Garland, or if Sir Garland was also protecting the Princess from them I cannot say for sure.

Sir Garland laughed as we entered, and asked, I’m sure, if we were the “Light Warriors”. Our leader, at once, said we were, and Sir Garland laughed and said that it was impossible, and he was going to end our pathetic lives.

Truly, I do not remember the fight clearly. Garland took a swing at our leader, and I tried desperately to use cure magic on the others as they fought. Somehow we survived, and Sir Garland seemed to let out a primal scream before he fell.

We rushed forward to the Princess and freed her. She said that we must truly be the Light Warriors for having defeated Sir Garland, and then, using some sort of magic, brought us all back to Cornelia Castle.

We rushed through the castle, and, as soon as the guards saw her, they began running and calling ahead. ”The Princess has returned!”

The King and Queen were so relieved that their daughter had been rescued, that the King promised to complete the bridge to the mainland that had been destroyed recently, and the Queen offered us help whenever we needed it.

Princess Sara herself also thanked us and gave us an antique lute. I’m not sure I understand, but perhaps she explained why to our leader, or perhaps it simply seemed like something we would need.

I clearly recall our walk out of the castle. Every soldier would stand at attention, and most would say, “You’ve saved the Princess! Thank you!” or “Hail the Light Warriors!” or even, “Restore the light to the crystals!”

I wondered how much others knew about the crystals we carried, but was too tired to ask, and, in fact, fell asleep almost the instant we arrived at the largest inn in Cornelia.


	2. Dreams

It’s interesting how, even though the four of us are together, and depend upon one another so deeply, that I still feel hesitant talking to them about the events that brought me to Cornelia.

They know that I wasn’t born or raised there, of course. I don’t even sound like I’m from there, so it would have been nearly impossible to even lie about it. Of course, why would I lie about where I’m from?

The thing is, the dreams I had seem so… fantastical?

The dreams seem to have been real, as well. I say “have been” as if they’ve stopped, but if anything they’ve gotten more vivid, more insistent.

What sort of object is this crystal?

When the time comes, will I know what to do?

I’m not speaking philosophically here either. I wonder if defeating these creatures I’ve been dreaming of, if “dreaming” is the right word at all, will simply restore the glow to them gem, or if there would be more to do?

Ah, but I’ve strayed from my initial topic.

If I alone are having these dreams, then why is it me? Are they actual visions, or is it only my imagination running wild?

If the others are having them as well, why have none of them spoken up?

Ah, and there’s the rub. I remain silent because they are, and, perhaps they are likewise remaining silent because I am.

Perhaps this reasoning is only in my mind, but the others seem so much more confident than I. And truly, most of them seem much more skilled, to be sure.

I do what I can, but I sometimes worry that I bring little more to a fight than a stock of potions could.

Does skill also mean confidence? Surely not, but the others, at least to me, sound very sure of themselves. Our leader, in particular, a warrior who is incredibly disciplined and has trained for his duties since he was a child… surely, if he were having visions he would share it with the rest of us.

Wouldn’t he?


	3. To Pravoka

Necessity, rather than desire, kept us idle in Cornelia for some time, which was perfectly all right with me, given I knew what would come when the bridge was finally repaired.

The other seemed to spend most of their time training, and so I, too, tried to spend my time practising white magic just outside of town, which was really just outside the central part of Cornelia city. It's quieter out here, which is important for my practice.

The day finally came, and quickly, when the leader called us late at night and informed us that the bridge would be safe enough to pass the next morning, and that we were going to leave before sunrise in order to make it to Pravoka in a single day.

I told them that was absolutely impossible! Had they never been to this continent before? Hadn't they any idea just how far Pravoka City was from Cornelia?

I went to sleep hoping that I'd talked some sense into them, but the next morning, which I say only in the most specific definition of morning as I felt I barely was able to sleep for more than a few hours, I was awoken, handed a pack full of food, water, and clothes, and told we were leaving.

Walking through town at such an hour was quite eerie, in fact. Aside from a few animals, there didn't seem to be anyone awake; not even the bakers who were always the first to rise.

We crossed the bridge at a pace I feared I would not be able to maintain for more than a few minutes, but we continued longer and longer, walking along the coastline to avoid the swamps and the most dense parts of the forest.

I tried to keep up with them. I truly did! But it was so difficult that I had to stop and rest quite often. I began to wonder if we wouldn't make better time if we'd just walk more slowly so that I didn't have to completely stop, but I didn't dare voice that thought, as simply looking at the impatient look on that warrior's face tells me that I'd just be left behind.

Midday passed, and twilight came, and we continued to hike. I hoped that we would stop by the village of Aldium which is nestled in the woods close to the shores of the Aldean sea, but when I raised the idea they told me that we had already passed it when we made into the forest.

The moon was high in the sky before they finally admitted defeat and allowed us to make camp. I think they discussed shifts for guarding the group, but I was so tired I fell asleep leaning against a tree, and still it felt like I'd only just closed my eyes when they woke me up and told me we needed to continue.

The rest of the hike passed in a haze for me, which I only snapped out of when we approached the docks. Docks that were full of ships even this late in the day.

Then I saw the trouble. A lone ship sat in the centre of the the channel out of the harbour, cannons aimed back toward those ships, and the city behind them.

Naturally, this only made our leader quicken our pace and I had to run flat out just to keep from falling behind as we entered the town.


	4. Bikke the Pirate

As we entered the city, our pace finally slowed to something of a fast walk, but then even our leader slowed to a pace i was more familiar with.

At first I was just trying to catch my breath, but then I realised how wrong it all felt. It was far too quiet, given the stories I'd heard about the city. I looked up and saw almost all the shutters were closed, and those few that were opened a bit seemed to only be so that the resident could look down at us and were quickly closed again.

I wanted to ask what was going on, but it felt too quiet.

A few moments later, a door opened and its resident beckoned us over.

"You have to help us," he said. "The town has been besieged by pirates!"

We didn't have much time to ask him any questions, because he suddenly slammed the door and locked it, just as a small group of those pirates walked up behind us.

"'ook at wha' we have 'ere!", one of them spoke, yet, in the quiet sounded like he was yelling.

"ain't from 'round 'ere, is ya?"

Our leader turned to face them, calmly, turning to face each one in the group, and at their blades, dismissively. "Where's your captain?"

"Aye!" the group laughed. "We'll take ya to Cap'in Bikke."

I quickly snuck into the middle of our line, not wanting to have my back pointed at by those swords.

What was I even doing there.

I hardly remember what happened as my mind was just filled with thoughts of my own demise. My heart was pounding so hard it felt as though it might escape from my chest.

We stopped and our leader spoke with the pirate captain, I think, but whatever he said just made the captain more upset. Or, so I would guess, because suddenly, seemingly from out of no where, we were surrounded by pirates.

I think I screamed and curled up on the ground, the other three around me.

Even with my hands over my ears I could hear the screams, both of battle and pain of injury, mixed in with the clangs of swords.

I think I felt blood hit my face and thought I was done for.

But then there was silence again, save pained groans around us, but I wasn't dead.

Slowly, extremely cautiously, I opened my eyes and saw the other three standing in front of me, facing away, and as my gaze rose I saw the captain had taken his hat off and had bowed his head.

The group split up with only our leader staying behind, standing over me, his hand extended to help me up.

I took it and stood, and it was then I realised I had been crying, so I wiped my eyes dry.

He pretended he didn't see.

He didn't say anything, so I looked around at the wounded pirates all around us. Not all wounded, I discovered, as some had been killed, seemingly burned from the inside out, their faces frozen in pain.

After I didn't seem to be panicking, the leader said to me, "Heal the wounded and meet us at city hall."

I wanted to ask him more, but he was gone a moment later.

In confusion I turned to the captain, and he bowed his head to me. "I ain't gonna make any trouble any more," he said meekly. "Take care 'o my crew though."

I didn't understand, exactly, but I nodded to him in confusion and began using curing magic on the injured who, one by one, sulked off to the pub or down alleyways.

As quickly as I could I ran to City Hall, though by then there were many more people in the streets, which made me feel better, though my heart continued to pound.

As I walked in, the others turned and said something about me finally making it there, and that we'd finished and would be gathering supplies and leaving straight away.

I told them I needed to rest, and so they left me in the rotunda, where I sat on the floor against the wall. I was so tired and scared and felt so very out of place.

One of the officials came over to me and offered me some water and food, and when they saw I'd been crying, a warm towel to clean my face.

In that moment, it felt like the first thing anyone had done nice for me since I'd left Cornelia.


	5. "Light Warriors"

I somehow convinced the others in the group to remain in Pravoka for a few days before setting sail for the far side of the Aldean Sea.

The others seemed to busy themselves from dawn until dusk, both training and moving large crates of supplies to the ship we had acquired from Captain Bikke.

I decided to spend the few days resting, as well as chatting with the people around the town. And, I confess, a bit of shopping as well.

It seems as though some people remember this old tale that had made its way around the world, at least in the sage and scholar communities, that the world was not always as it is today, and that four heroes would step forward to rid the world of darkness.

The “Light Warriors”, they say.

When I hear people tell me this, and particularly when they look at me and assert that I, myself, am one of these “Light Warriors”, I admit that I feel … uncomfortable.

They do not know me, of course, but when they say these things, I want to cry out that I am no hero. That, even as a white mage I am but a novice, and though my skills have improved vastly since I began travelling with the others, I would, personally, rely upon myself to restore light to the world as much as I would to crack a boulder in half by asking it politely to become two stones.

The darkness, they say, has led to the great number of wild beasts roaming the forests, the rough seas and the great beasts within. They say that even the heat is a result of the evil in the world.

And yet, I know these beasts have been here for as long as anyone can remember. Books, even antique bound tomes that are over a hundred years old talk about the wild seas and the fierce beasts across the world.

I’m beginning to think the story of the “Light Warriors” is just an old wives tale; a fantasy told by those who wish the world were different than it truly is.

I should pack. The lands around Elfland are temperate, but the farther west one travels, the cooler it becomes. I hope I can find a wool cloak, either here or in Elfland, if we are to travel into those regions.


	6. HMS Hilda?

Just prior to sunrise our leader came to my door and reminded me that we were leaving for Elfland.

I was prepared, but I do confess I would have liked to dream about sleeping for five more minutes.

But such things are impossible with the others. They are all so disciplined, or at least appear to be so through my eyes. I dressed as quickly as possible and was able to make it to the entry of the inn just as the others arrived.

We made our way through the town to the docks, but then I saw that our ship was not alone. That is, there were perhaps a half dozen to a dozen men on the dock and ship.

"Are those the pirates?" I asked our leader.

He nodded but didn’t say another word on the matter, which made me a little nervous. Sometimes it’s difficult to tell if he is taking a leisurely stroll or marching to slay an infamous fiend.

We arrived on the docks, and the pirates… They greeted us. They greeted me!

I looked at one of them, the one closest to me as I boarded, after he welcomed me aboard, and he just gave me this… smile, and, sort of starred for a long moment before he said, I believe, “I ain’t ne’r bin lo’al ta da Bikke. Hilda’s me lif’. We ain’ bin born t’gthar but sure tha’ I gonna die wi’ her.”

He winked at me and started climbing up the ropes to secure the sails.

When we were finally under way, I realised how sailing the ship with only the four of us would have likely been impossible. I’d never even sailed on a ship of this size, and with this sort of technology before then, so, in truth, it would have been only the other three, and unless they were hiding their own maritime skills, I’m fairly certain, no matter how much their hearts would have lead them, that we wouldn’t have even navigated out of the harbour alone.

With the crew, however, it’s quite amazing.

Our leader often visits with, by title, the first mate, though in reality he is the commander of the ship, at least while we are sailing. Our leader seems to tell him where he would like to sail, and he brings us there.

Though I was nervous at first, the men truly love their vessel, and treat her with such care and respect that, occasionally, I will simply stand and watch as we perform a “tact” or other such manurers. They move so quickly and seamlessly, sometimes appearing as though they will certainly get in one another’s way, but, at the last moment, everything flows perfectly!

It feels like watching a dance, if I may say so. A splendid waltz between a ship and her crew.


	7. Elfland

We sailed through the night and arrived at the northern port of Elfland just after sunrise.

I must say, watching the sun rise over the Aldean sea was breath taking.

It seems that one of the others is quite an adept fisherman, and this morning we were all treated to fresh fish!

A small group of elves met us at the docks and led us posthaste to the Elvish Grand Castle, where we learned that five years previous the King had died and a dispute arose when the Prince moved to assume leadership of Elfland. Apparently a Dark Elf calling himself Astos said that he should be made king, claiming that he was heir to the crown of the Elvish people. When they asked him to produce the crown, however, he cursed the prince and escaped, and since that day the Elvish Prince has been in a deep sleep.

The Elves told us that a witch by the name of Matoya may have a magical herb that could break the curse, allowing the Prince to take the throne and help his kingdom.

One may think it a simple task then, but it seemed as though the Dark Elf also knew that she may have such a herb, and so he stole her crystal, one that she uses to see having lost her own sight years ago, according to the elf we spoke with.

So it appears as though it’s up to us to find this elf and get back the witch’s crystal so we can wake the sleeping Prince.

I do wonder what will happen, however, when we do confront him. It is doubtful he will simply relinquish the crystal when we ask.

Are we truly going to involve ourselves in what could, potentially, become a civil war between the elves and dark elves?


	8. Poisoned

We had been spending some time in Elfland, gathering information and training by thinning out the hoards of monsters in the forests and plains just outside of the town, when we learned that we might be able to learn more information about the “crown” in this castle, thought to be abandoned, to the north west.

We began our journey, but after only an hour or so of hiking, we encountered a group of amazingly aggressive snakes, which quickly surrounded us.

Our leader told us to stay back, and warned that they were poisonous.

Still, while I and the other mage could stand away from the fighting, the other two had to move close to them in order to attack.

We were able to subdue them quickly enough, but our leader had received multiple bites, and was poisoned.

The others looked toward me and I wasn’t sure what I could do. I told them I could use cure magic, of course, but that it wouldn’t remove the poison.

They asked if I’d learned poisona yet, and I shook my head.

The other fighter was upset. He asked how I could be so irresponsible. He said that even he knew that I should have been able to purchase the scroll in Elfland, and that I should have been prepared.

I was in a panic. I tried to apologise, and, for what it’s worth, our leader simply said not to worry about it, but the other didn’t want to relent.

Finally, the other mage stepped forward and told him to back down. He asked him what help it would do to yell at me now, and explained that learning magic isn’t as simple as picking up a piece of paper.

The other person gave me a look, but stood down.

We headed back to town as quickly as possible, all the while our leader looked as though the life was draining from his body.

When we got to the border of the town, I ran ahead and bought a pure potion, which counteracted the poison. Our leader decided that we would wait until the following morning to head to the castle, as it was getting late, and he wanted to purchase more supplies.

I, I’m sorry to say, sort of ran away and hid after that. I just kept thinking, what if we had been farther away? What if … what if he didn’t make it back.

I curled up beside a tree toward the outskirts of town and…

Eventually our black mage found me there, crying, and I apologised again for what happened, but he just shook his head and asked me why I hadn’t purchased the scroll.

I explained that I had some gil left, but it wasn’t nearly enough to cover the cost of the magic.

He just gave me this… look, and burst out laughing.

I… I think I got angry at that point. I wasn’t well off, and perhaps he and the others were, which is why they could afford new magic spells or armour, but I had to make due with what I’d brought with me.

He shook his head though and apologised to me. He said that they’d been gathering money the entire time we’d been fighting, and particularly the time we’d been training near the town had been very lucrative. He said, when you see something you need, just tell the leader, and he’ll give you the gil for it.

I was stunned. I could just ask for it? Even for buying magic scrolls?

He replied that it especially applied to magic scrolls, and asked if I’d purchased any since Cornelia.

I shook my head, and he just laughed again, but told me to wait there.

He left, and returned a dozen or so minutes later with a pouch of gil and said that I should buy any magic, armour, or even weapons, that I saw for sale, and, if there was gil left over, that I should also treat myself to a snack before returning whatever I couldn’t use.

He said, when you’re done find me by the east bridge, and just wandered off.

When I looked, I saw that there must have been more than 20,000 gil in that pouch!

Actually, I was quite nervous at first, carrying around all that money, but Elfland is, inside of town at least, a safe place, and so I quickly set my priorities on obtaining magic scrolls.

Starting, of course, with a scroll of poisona.


	9. Northwest Castle

We awoke early this morning and headed off toward the castle to the north west.

The journey to the castle took several days. The dense forests we had to navigate through, along with increasingly aggressive creatures caused our journey to progress more slowly than our leader had hoped.

I began to wonder if the forest was part of an ogre kingdom, as we began to encounter them rather frequently. They seemed completely uninterested in dialogue, however, or they simply do not speak our language. It was a shame to have to kill so many of them…

Before journeying this way, a few people told us that the castle, which some described as being in ruins, was haunted. I secretly wondered what we hoped to gain from travelling all this way, rather than continuing to learn about the Dark Elf Astos, but I often feel as though I don’t understand all of the motivations of our leader, or perhaps the others.

When we finally arrived, we made our way into the castle, which was, indeed, in ruin. I was suspect as to whether we would actually find anyone inside. Anyone who would talk to us, at least.

Actually, I almost expected to walk into the throne room and find it filled with ogres, but there was but a single weary elf.

"Greetings, your majesty," our leader began. "We are the Light Warriors."

"The Light Warriors?" he asked before he seemed to carefully look us over, as if making some sort of decision, before finally saying, "You are all very strong. Astos double crossed us, you see. If you go south, into the cave in the marsh you will find a crown. When you find it, return it to me for a reward."

You might think that the elf would have smiled, even a sinister smile, but he continued to look on at us with a rather weary gaze.

I wondered how long he had lived there in solitude, and, indeed, if he even noticed that he was alone.

"At once, your highness," our leader said, and urged us to make our leave.

We travelled just outside of the castle to the nearby river where we made camp that night.

"Isn’t it suspicious?" I asked the others as we ate our dinner. "If this is the same crown as we learned about in Elfland, that elf could, in reality, be the Dark Elf Astos, and if we bring him the crown it will give him leadership over the elves back in Elfland."

The other fighter curled his lip in a sort of twisted smile, but our leader spoke up quickly and said, “I’m nearly certain that elf we met was Astos. I met an elf who said that the dark elves command powerful magic, and it was likely that Astos would be alone, and in disguise. There’s simply no way an old elf like that could live up here if he were truly as frail as he seemed.”

I nodded tentatively to that and asked what we were going to do.

"Retrieve the crown, of course," the black mage replied at once. "And bring it back to him."

I don’t think I said anything at this point, but rather only starred at him blankly. He turned back to me with a smile and said, “Until he has the crown in his hands, he’ll never reveal his true form, and we can’t be certain that he has the witch’s crystal with him, so we have to play his little game, if we want to help the Prince.”

I nodded slowly in reply. ”I see,” before I turned to our leader and asked, “We will start for the cave in the marsh tomorrow morning?”

He nodded and said that we would hike along the coastline, which seemed to be mostly grassland, and that should not only give us better viability, to avoid surprise attacks, but also allow us to move more quickly.

As I lay my head down to rest that night I couldn’t help but think how foolish we were. Running off, climbing into a cave we know nothing about, to retrieve an object for an enemy that we know is a powerful magic user.

Would I be ready?


	10. Coastline

I admit that I was a little nervous, given that the Dark Elf Astos was probably a short ten minute hike away, but the others reassured me that he wouldn’t do anything until we returned.

We awoke before daybreak and set off through a small patch of woods before emerging onto the open grasslands, and, as I expected, the temperature dropped considerably over night, particularly along the coast.

I had prepared for this, however! I paused briefly to put on my woollen cloak and the fighters snickered, but the black mage gave me a kind of reassuring smile and said that the hood suited me.

We hugged the coastline, doing our best to avoid the woods, even though they were considerably less dense than the forest we’d passed through on our way here, we didn’t need to enter, and so we avoided it to keep up our pace, which was helped not only by the less rugged terrain, but also far fewer encounters with ogres!

We made rather good time, but everyone was still feeling pretty tired and hungry, and it was decided it would be safer to make camp while we still had some light.

We found a small raised pitch and made our camp between the walls of it, which gave us much needed relief from the wind.

The seas are often wild, but out here, with almost nothing around, the winds can whip up into a frenzy with hardly any notice at all. We were fortunate most of the day, but as evening came, so did the winds.

While the others prepared the main portion of the meal, I took a few minutes to watch as the sun set over the sea.

A voice spoke behind me, and I think I must have leapt quite high into the air as turned quickly from a speaking voice to one of laughter.

"Don’t do that!" I warned. "You’re likely to scare me half to death!"

"I’m sorry," he said in the sort of aloof, yet somehow earnest tone that only a black mage can produce. "I was just saying, this is the great south sea. The other coast is the region that’s home to Crescent Lake and the Circle of Sages, they say."

I nodded, though I’d never heard of this group of sages before then.

Of course everyone knew of Crescent Lake. It’s one of the largest, most prosperous cities in this half of the world.

We stood, looking out over the sea for what seemed like a long time, and then, suddenly, he spoke again. ”What made you come out and follow us?”

"I-I knew I had to," I stuttered in reply.

"But what made you come to Cornelia in the first place. You said you were from Rowan?" he asked and I nodded in reply, and he continued and said, "Rowan isn’t exactly next to Cornelia. Something called you there."

I shrugged. I wasn’t sure what to say. We were only just warming up to one another, after all. If I told him I heard voices…

But he clicked his tongue at me and said, “Don’t give me that.” Then, with a voice so quite it was barely above a whisper he asked, “It was the crystal, wasn’t it?”

I didn’t even get to say a word as my face revealed my answer before any words could pass through my lips.

He nodded and said, “It’s the same for me. The beckoning, not even really words, but… just a feeling, right?”

I nodded frantically and asked, “Have you been having… dreams?”

The smile that grew upon his face told me he understood. ”Yes,” he said with a nod, which he repeated before, it seemed, his mind focused again. ”A woman, no, a creature, with a multitude of arms, each with a scimitar like blade, bathed in fire.”

He turned to me, and looked me in the eyes a long moment, and in that moment it felt as though he was trying to confess of being afraid of this vision, perhaps, because then he asked me if I’d had any dreams.

I nodded and told him about the sea monster that seemed as big as a house, with seemingly countless arms that torn and crushed anything it could touch.

We didn’t speak for a long while after that, but rather stood and looked out at the darkening sea in silence.

He finally broke the silence and said, “We should get back. The others will be looking for us.”

I nodded.

I wonder if he knew. I wonder if the others are having these dreams as well. I wonder if the reason our leader suggests we leave so early each day is because he cannot sleep because of the visions in his dreams, and he pushes forward so strongly because… because why?

Because the truth cannot possibly be as horrible as these dreams?

We arrived back at camp, and ate; the atmosphere being surprisingly upbeat for where we were, and what we were doing.

But, then again, perhaps that’s exactly why it was so upbeat.


	11. The Marsh Cave

We got an early start, as usual, and, after a quick breakfast, continued our hike down the coast. Things were progressing rather well for the first part of the day, but then we entered the marsh.

The marsh itself, on the southern point of the continent, is a rather large place to begin with, and, in contrast with the dense forests we’d been through a few days previous, the vegetation was not as dense, but some areas were so thick with mud that it would take all of one’s strength to take a single step.

Thus, our journey slowed considerable as we meandered across the dry regions as best we could.

We were told we were looking for a cave, but one in the marsh, and so I’m not sure exactly what I had in mind, but when we finally spotted it, I was sure this wasn’t what I had been imagining.

The cave was little more than a hole, to be quite honest, and I wondered, at first, how the entire cave system wasn’t flooded, given that it seemed completely opened to the rain, as well as the wind blown water from the pools around the marsh itself.

We lowered a ladder into the hole and the fighter volunteered to drop inside first.

He climbed down for, probably about three times his height, before he stood back and began to look around with the lantern. He said that it was safe, and we should come down.

I was the third to descend the ladder, and when I looked around at the cavern we lowered ourselves into, I realised that I was correct, and water was coming in, not only through the entrance, but likely from the sides as well.

Dripping water echoed from down dark tunnels that ran in either direction, while an occasional bat flew overhead.

Looking up, I almost cried out as I saw the ceiling seemed to be alive, in some areas, with large clusters of bats. I hoped, at that moment, that what I’d learned previously was accurate, and that bats were unlikely to attack people.

We decided to proceed north, initially, and as we moved from the first cavern we were in to the tunnels, I could see that the cave system was not naturally occurring, or, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the walls seemed to be secured using large wood cylinders. Pylons as big around as any tree I’d seen, in fact, but coated in a thin layer of slime.

Suddenly we heard a plopping sound very close by. We grouped together, and, a moment later we saw what it was.

The muck was alive, and was moving in to surround us.

The fighter made the first move and lunged toward the lead muck or ooze with his weapon, the silver blade cutting clean and true through the creature.

However, the attack seemed to be almost completely ineffective, as the ooze pulled itself back together.

"Get back!" called the leader as he took up a defensive posture.

"It really is nothing but living slime," the other replied, falling back along side the other. "What should we do?"

"I have an idea," the black mage said as he closed his eyes and began to chant.

One of the mucks flung part of itself forward, it’s pseudopodia formed into a hardened, thin point, that struck our leader’s shield with such force that it sounded like the ringing of a church bell, the sound echoing off the walls and disturbing the bats above.

Our mage, however, had completed his chant, and the area in front of us exploded into a ball of fire so large that it lit the entire tunnel as if it were bathed in the midday sun.

The creatures, whether they could make a sound or not, had no time to react as their bodies seemed to dry and shatter in the heat.

"Is everyone okay?" our leader asked following the encounter.

We each replied that we were safe, but our leader said that, given the time, and that we had no idea how large the cave system was, nor what else was living within it, that we should wait until the following day, and get an early start.

Our black mage agreed, as I expect he may have used a bit more strength in that single spell than he had hoped or expected.

We climbed out of the hole to find that the sun was setting and it was nearly twilight.

After a small meal, we all climbed into our bedrolls quickly, the combination of the hike and our first encounter within the caves having worn all of us out.

"Will we be able to make it?" "Are we prepared?"

I drifted off to sleep silently asking myself those questions.


	12. The Cave of Marsh Continued

We awoke quite early and again climbed into the cave, this time with us all well rested, and with a plan for exploration.

We again proceeded to the north, initially, and though we encountered more of the living scum, since we knew how to manage against it, both our fighters and the black mage were able to fight without over-exerting themselves.

As we followed the tunnel around, a group of living skeletons, each with a blade that seemed to be made of sharpened bone, looked up from the shadows as our light spilled down the hall, their empty eye sockets nonetheless gazing back at us evenly before leaping up with much more agility than I could have imagined possible.

While the pair of fighters began to attack them in turn, I focused myself and chanted holy magic, holding images of each of them as I did.

The cave was momentarily light with a bright, pure white light, which encircled each of the skeletons like a web, before each strand seemed to drive itself into their bodies.

The creatures let out an unholy cry before breaking apart, many of their ancient, fragile, bones shattering as they hit the ground, no longer being bound together by magic.

The black mage smiled and gave me a nod, and even the fighters turned in apparent disbelief.

Suddenly I wasn’t there merely to heal their wounds, but I was also capable of utterly destroying the unliving.

If there were any doubts that this cave was at least partially built by someone, or something, it was put to rest when, at the end of the tunnel we had followed, we found a proper staircase leading down.

Each of us seemed to look to the other in apparent disbelief, yet we followed the stairs down into a large cavern which, itself, had several rooms with fully working doors.

Inside each of the rooms, far back in the corner, were boxes - treasure chests, it seems. I confess I never thought that a “treasure chest” was an actual thing, but, according to the others, each of the boxes we came upon contained some useful items, though I tended to stand facing away from the others to ensure nothing would surprise us while we were in the enclosed space.

After having fully investigated the floor, we returned to the stairs and returned to the entrance.

It was decided that we would take a brief rest before we continued on to follow the southern path, and so we climbed out, ate a small meal, and indeed, at least the black mage and I took the opportunity to take a short nap, resting our minds so that we would be as ready as our companions when we continued our investigation in the cave.


	13. The Crown

After much searching, including climbing down ladders into rooms filled with giant spiders, living muck, and packs of magicked, bloodied bones wielding bone swords, we arrived outside a door that appeared just a bit more ornate than the others.

Carefully our leader pushed it opened and shone the light in.

The room was of a good size, and neat, if any place in this cave could be considered so.

There was a single treasure box, raised on a concrete slab, surrounded by statues of what seemed to be wizards with faces that had tentacles.

But there were no monsters, which seemed a bit suspicious.

"Well," our fighter said, "This is why you brought me along, isn’t it?" and, as he said that, he stepped forward and reached for the treasure box.

Suddenly the statues came to life, the one nearest to the adventurer swinging his staff down hard, cracking the concrete as it impacted, but fortunately he was able to jump back just before it struck.

Our leader jumped forward and deflected a blow with his shield before attempting to counter with his blade.

It was a clean slide, and the wizard crumpled from its wound.

Unfortunately the one behind it swung its staff at our leader immediately after its comrade fell, striking him cleanly and knocking him against the wall.

Without wasting a moment, I closed my eyes and focused a cure spell on him, binding the wound as his head cleared.

Even as I was working on his wounds, however, our other fighter had received a similar blow, and was thrown against the wall, his helmet sounding out in a sickly echo inside the enclosed space.

The black mage was observing our enemy and, a moment later began to quietly chant.

Our leader blocked another blow, but wasn’t ready to strike back, while the other parried an attempted attack, biding time the black mage to finish his spell.

And then his chant was complete, and out of his hands spread a web of lightning and leapt from wizard to wizard, each of them crying out in pain before falling over defeated.

The other fighter stepped forward to the box as I chanted another cure, directing it at him.

It was that moment that I felt, somehow, as though we were truly a team.

Allow me to explain. After the fight, no one thanked me for my efforts. In fact, no one remarked upon my magic at all. And yet, our fighter, with his potentially serious wounds, didn’t ask or even note his injuries, and instead continued with his task, knowing that I would be there, with my magic, to bind his wounds.

He turned, after having opened the box, with a wide smile, and tossed a jewel encrusted grand crown toward our leader.

Our leader examined it a moment and said, “Good work everyone”, before he placed it in one of the sacks.

"We should return to the surface," he said briefly.

"But…" began the other fighter.

I wondered if he wanted to finish exploring this floor before we left. Checking for more treasure, I wondered.

Our leader, however, just gazed back evenly at him until he nodded.

When we emerged from the hole in the ground it was already past twilight, though I had no idea what time it was, and the adrenaline in my system, from all of the battles we fought on our way out, made it difficult to sleep at once.

"Don’t worry," the others told me. "Soon you’ll crash and be out cold, so just be careful until then."

I nodded, not exactly sure what they meant, having never experienced this sensation up until then.

I ate a bit, at the urging of our leader, and then curled up in my bedroll watching the stars.

I felt like I was lying awake forever, but I drifted off, and, when I awoke it was already very bright and the others were seated around a fire chatting.

The black mage noticed I was awake first and asked, “Feeling all right?”

I nodded. ”What time is it?” I asked.

"Mid-morning," our leader replied.

Mid-morning?! I scrambled to sit up but he raised his hand as if to tell me to stop. ”Take your time. We need you to be rested. The next couple of days will be difficult.”

I nodded, and got up more slowly, joining them around the fire, and accepting breakfast from the fighter.

Our leader waited a few moments as he checked me over. I wondered if he was assessing my condition? I didn’t get a chance to ask, since as soon as I looked at him with as if I had a question he began to say, “All right, since we’re all awake now, let’s go over the plan…”


	14. Astos

Having secured the crown, we hiked back to the north along the coastal path we’d taken to arrive here, camping our final night along the coast at the edges of the forest, almost due west of the castle.

The group of us walked forward into the throne room, and, as was before, the only figure was the tired old man.

"You’re back," he said. "Do you have it? Did you retrieve the crown?"

Our leader nodded and held it out to him.

The tired old man smiled, and then began to laugh as his features twisted and distorted into a thin, almost wirely, shape. Raising himself up, he easily stood a full head above our leader as he placed the crown upon his head.

"Fools!" he said. "I", he cried out at us, panning his head to be sure we each recognized he was speaking to us, "am Astos the Black. Ruler of the Dark Elves, and now, King of all Elves!"

Our leader simply gazed back at him, but the other fighter began to laugh himself.

"You think yourself so clever, elf. You will never leave this room!"

And with that, he dove toward the dark elf.

The dark elf was not so agile as to completely escape the blow, but he was tougher than that.

He turned and looked at each of us, again, but his head snapped back to look at me. Raising a long, gnarled finger, he pointed directly to my chest and whispered, “DEATH!”

For a moment, I felt a terrible pain, and then, peace, before it faded quickly, and I felt nothing at all.

I awoke later upon an altar. As I opened my eyes, I saw an elvish high priest standing over me, having just used raise magic upon my body.

As I turned my head, I saw the black mage and our fighter.

"Welcome back," the black mage said with a smile. "How do you feel?"

"I… feel very tired," I said honestly. I didn’t hurt so much as I simply felt absolutely drained. "How did I get back here?"

The black mage nodded his head to the side, to our fighter.

"You carried me all that way?" I asked him.

"Couldn’t just leave you up there. You’d probably come back as one of those undead things, and then we’d have to hike back up there to kill you for good."

Somehow his words sounded very funny to me in that moment, and so I laughed. Or, I giggled, as I didn’t have a full laugh’s energy in my body yet.

"Thank you," I said.

I looked around for our leader and the black mage said, “He’s with the Prince.”

"The Prince?" I asked. "Is he awake?"

He nodded.

"I… I feel as though I’ve missed so much."

"Well, you were dead, so that’s to be expected," the fighter said to me.

I remember I smiled and punched him, but even his clothes didn’t seem to move.

"Is she going to be all right?" the black mage asked of the high priest.

He nodded and said, “She should be fine after some rest.” He looked down at me and said, “And I do mean rest. Take care of yourself. I don’t want to see you back in here like that again.”

I smiled and nodded.

I set my foot on the ground and began to slip, but so the fighter caught me. ”I’m sorry,” I said.

"No matter," he replied. "Let’s get you to the inn to rest."

"Thank you…" I said, feeling ashamed that, after all this time I didn’t even know his name.

"No matter," he replied again.

"What’s your name?" I asked him.

"You can call me Rhys."

"Rhys," I repeated and turned to face the black mage as we walked along.

He laughed and said, “And I’m Ziv.”

"Ziv", I repeated. "Rhys and Ziv. Thank you."

We walked back to the inn in silence following that. On our way to the inn, many people stopped and looked toward us, clearly having heard the news that their price was awake, and that we were responsible.

When we got to the inn, we walked directly up the stairs without visiting the inn keep. I tried to protest, but they said it was taken care of already, so I merely nodded.

They put me into a bed and, as best I can tell, I fell asleep the moment my head touched the pillow.


	15. Journey Continues

I have no real recollection of how long I slept, but each time I awoke it was either the middle of the night, or either Ziv, Rhys, or our leader, Leo, was there and, as I made a motion to leave, they told me to eat the food that always seemed to simply appear beside my bed, or that I should get some more rest.

And, do not misunderstand. Throughout this time I didn’t feel as though I was being told to do anything against my will, but rather that, even though I wanted to continue to rest, I felt as though I’d probably been doing so too long, and the others would be anxious to continue.

One morning, however, I woke and I felt… like myself. I sat up and, even though I hadn’t said a word, Ziv looked at me and smiled. ”Ah, you look yourself again,” he said.

I nodded. ”H-how could you tell?”

He was trying to be discrete, diplomatic, I could tell, but he couldn’t find the right words, it seemed. ”You… looked tired before today.”

Rhys, however, decided to be more clear and called in from the adjoining room, “You looked like death, and not particularly warmed over neither.”

I giggled. ”I’m sorry to have worried you,” I said.

How much had changed, I thought to myself. At first, none of them would even speak a word to me, whether it was because I was so young, so inexperienced, or simply because I was a novice white mage, or even a girl, I wasn’t sure. Over time we’ve seemed to have warmed to one another. Leo and Rhys seemed to have a particular bond, but they’ve also been including Ziv in what I can only imagine is “guy talk”.

It’s all right, however, since Ziv and I also have time to ourselves that, I suppose, is like, “mage talk”, even though we rarely speak about magic, given how different our paths are.

Later that day we arrived back at our ship, with the support of what seemed, to me, like the whole of the Elven army!

Even the Prince, no, the King, was there to see us off.

Our ship was loaded with supplies, including some, I hear, particularly famous elven spirits for which the crew was particularly happy about.

"Be safe on your journey," was the parting most people gave us. The Elven King handed over a key with particularly strong magic cast upon it. He told us that, according to the prophecy, we should be given this. Leo accepted it for all of us as we boarded our vessel.

"You will always be welcomed in Elfland," he said.

"Make the orbs shine brightly once again!" the King cried as our vessel pulled away from the dock.

"Where are we going?" I asked Leo once we were out on the open seas.

"To meet the dwarves," he said.

"The dwarves?"

He nodded. ”Beyond the Aldean sea lies the town of Melmond. We’ve met some refugees from there and they say that their land is dying beneath their feet. They speak of a fiend in a nearby cave that is the cause.”

"But," he continued, "Our ship cannot pass through the small channels that lead to the Great Southern Sea, and crossing through the mountains would be too perilous. Yet, people were saying a particular dwarf was attempting to create a proper channel from the Aldean Sea to the Great Southern Sea."

"Whatever for?" I asked. "What of the beasts? Won’t they travel in to attack Cornelia, or Pravoka?"

He smiled and said, “He is a particular kind of dwarf,” though he left the rest unsaid. ”Still, given the beasts that live in waters around here, I somehow doubt those who could threaten us couldn’t already move through the small channels.”

"I see…" I said.

"Don’t worry, little Maryl. I’ve seen the beasts of the Great Southern Sea, and they are no different than those within these waters. It will be okay."

I nodded, tentatively, but I did feel reassured, if only a little. I just hated to think that we might be responsible for letting in some terrible monster that destroys one of the towns we’ve worked so hard to help.


	16. I Could Never Be a Dwarf

We sailed to the west end of the Aldean Sea and made our way to the home of the dwarves.

I’d heard, of course, the dwarves prefer to live underground, but I didn’t anticipate that their entire city would be under a mountain in a massive labyrinth of caves.

It was quite impressive, of course, that they were able to build such things. They are able to mix together techniques that hollow out large rooms, and yet also have amazingly intricate artwork in the walls.

The trouble is, the trouble for me that is, is that dwarves can see excellently in the dark, and so, though there were lanterns hung to illuminate paths, they were dim at best. Coming up to corners they would often be completely dark.

The dwarves were extremely friendly, however! It was wonderful to meet many of them.

And, secretly, it was a little nice not to be the smallest person around, except for children, of course. But that’s just my vanity.

While I was there I was able to help heal some workers who were injured, and they gave me a potion of some sort in return. They say it will help when I’m feeling tired from using magic. I thanked them for it, though I truly wonder what it does.

There is one final downside to the Dwarven city, at least at the moment, and that downside is Nerrick.

Not Nerrick himself! Nerrick is a lovely, enthusiastic, happy-go-lucky dwarf, even if he’s a bit… eccentric, according to the others.

You see, Nerrick is leading a small group of dwarves trying to dig out a channel between the Aldean Sea and the Great South Sea. Their dedication has them working in shifts, so they can continue digging at all hours of the day.

The trouble is that the rock that they are digging through is incredibly dense, and as they strike it, somehow, the sound echoes through the entire city!

KA-CHINK! KA-CHINK! KA-CHINK!

The rhythm is nearly perfect, and just by listening one can tell when they change shifts because each dwarf has their own pace they move, and they are consistent, somehow, the entire time.

Nerrick says that he heard that the Kingdom of Cornelia had created an amazingly powerful thing called TNT, and that, if he could get his hands on it, he could finish his canal within a day.

I was suspicious of how much difference it could make, but I’d also heard that the reason they locked it up in the first place was how destructive it was, so perhaps it isn’t an exaggeration.

We decided to rest in the cave overnight, though I confess that I wasn’t able to sleep at all. I was fortunate that there are digging crews active in the mountain around the clock.

They say that they don’t worry about day or night because, underground, it doesn’t matter whether it’s light or dark outside. So some people sleep at night, some during the day, and some seem to just work until they’re tired, take a nap, and then get up and continue, whatever time it happens to be.

I played some board games with a few of the dwarves who were on break, and tended to some minor wounds through the night, so it wasn’t a waste, in any sense.

But when we left, I was incredibly sleepy.

At least I’ll get to sleep in the ship for a few hours before we arrive in Cornelia.


	17. TNT

After a few hours rest, we arrived into Cornelia port and made our way to the castle.

I think we only intended to check with some of the guards, to explain the situation and see if it would, in fact, be acceptable for us to take the last of the TNT weapon to the dwarven cave, but when we arrived, Princess Sarah had heard, and she insisted that we stay and tell her all about our journey thus far.

It is so rare, particularly now, but even back when I was in Rowan, to have some of these delicacies. There was an amazing assortment of fresh fruits, fine cuts of meats, fresh breads, sparkling clear water, cheeses… It was a true banquet. I felt embarrassed by the lavishness of it all, I assumed it was for our sakes.

After a long meal that morphed into a sort of tea time, the King personally led us to the treasury.

Leo opened the door to the room, and the King led us to the box that held the TNT.

"Please be careful," he implored us as we took it with us. "Also, please look through the rest of this and the adjoining room and take whatever you find that you feel could be useful."

Ziv found a particularly curious knife that he said was made of something called mithril. It was incredibly light, but very sharp, and strong.

Rhys took an ornate saber he said felt light and quick, though when I held it I found it much too heavy to use as he would.

Leo decided to take a suit of iron armour as well. I asked Rhys why he didn’t like using a shield or wearing stronger armour, since he also fought close to the enemy, but he just smiled and said it would slow him down.

We left the treasure room and returned to the main courtyard where we found the King, Queen, and both Princesses waiting.

We exchanged some pleasantries, and the King explained that he sent additional supplies to our ship, including fresh fruit!

Princess Sarah offered me a new diary and, she said, a magical quill which would never run out of ink if I promised to continue cataloguing our journey. I thanked her for it, and will likely begin using it by the end of the week.

It was a bit sad to leave the city, as Cornelia is such a beautiful town, but we needed to continue on to Melmond, and would need to return to the dwarven city before that, so we really couldn’t stay longer than we already had.

After making it to the dock, and all the supplies were loaded, it was already twilight.

We ate a perfect meal of fresh fruit and fine meat for dinner, as we started to get underway.

Sleeping on the ship is pleasant, I feel. And waking to sunrise on the sea even more so.


	18. The Channel

We arrived into port outside of the dwarven city before daybreak and took the short hike into the city.

While the others took the TNT device, package… I don’t feel right calling it a weapon, at this point, but I don’t know what word is more accurate, I checked in on the infirmary.

I do not understand how dwarves can injure themselves so frequently! I suppose I never properly thought about it, but there are minor injuries that seem to occur all the time.

And often they don’t even stop, other than to get a bandage, or perhaps a healing potion. I’ve had to follow some of them back to their work area while casting cure magic from time to time.

Please don’t misunderstand. They’re not being rude about it, but I say, “Please wait!” and they say, “Sorry lass, people are counting on me.”

I was in the middle of casting a cure spell when there was suddenly the loudest explosion I’d ever heard. Louder than any thunder storm I’d been in.

I yelped in surprise, the dwarves told me, and after the fact they were laughing about it, but everyone was concerned because, immediately after the explosion, there was the sound of a cave in.

Many dwarves rushed to places that I expect were where they were meant to gather in the case of an emergency, but others ran toward the sound of the explosion, and cave in.

I couldn’t tell what direction it came from myself, as the sound seemed to echo off of every wall, but I was able to keep up with them as we rushed through the tunnels.

When we neared the sight, we found the others, as well as Nerrick and his crew, cheering, laughing, and congratulating one another.

Before I could even ask what happened, Nerrick cried out, first in dwarven, and then common, “We did it!”

I turned to Ziv and asked, “It worked? The channel is open?”

He smiled and nodded, but then shrugged. ”I guess?” he said. ”He had us stand back here, and then there was an explosion… And, my ears are ringing… But he seems excited,” he said, or shouted, really.

I used some magic on those who were closest to the blast so the ringing in their ears would stop.

Someone from Nerrik’s team who was on the surface came rushing in screaming the entire way, “We’ve done it! It’s open!”

Work all but came to a standstill over the next hours, and then there was a celebration throughout the city.

We were invited to the, I suppose you might say, main event, which was hosted for Nerrick and his crew, but every street, store, and home seemed to be eating, drinking, and throwing a party in recognition of the feat.

"It wouldn’t have been possible without the Light Warriors," Nerrick said during his speech in which he also praised his crew, the king, and the earth itself.

Though we stayed for most of the day, we had to excuse ourselves early, as even twelve hours later the celebration seemed to only be beginning, and we needed to continue on to Melmond.

I remained on deck, along with the others, who seemed to have the same idea, as we sailed through the channel for the first time.

I had no idea how he did it, but the channel, at least from what I could tell, was cut with amazing precision. The banks were relatively straight, and the sides appeared to fall off quickly. We sailed through the center, but it seemed as though two ships could even pass one another and neither would be in any danger of running aground.

After working with the dwarves, and then the party, I was quite tired, and decided to sleep as much as I could before we arrived into port.


	19. Tragedy in Melmond

We sailed into Melmond early this morning, but I wasn’t, and I don’t think I could have been, prepared for the devastation the town has suffered, and I can’t help but feel partially to blame.

I haven’t been able to gather the full story yet, as I’ve been busy since I arrived and am writing this quickly before I get some rest, but only a few days ago a vampire, they tell me, ransacked the town, killing livestock and killing and severely wounding many of the citizens, before destroying the church and escaping.

There are so many injuries, even now. Many of the towns white mages and priests were among the dead, so I’ve been trying to help where I can while the others gather information from the survivors and witnesses that were fortunate enough to be spared.

There is something deeply wrong with the land here. I can’t understand the cause of it, but the land is… There’s no polite way to put it, I suppose, it’s rotting.

There are vast swamps that encroach upon the town, but they aren’t the wetlands, as by the cave in the marsh, it’s spoiled water that rots the ground, killing the plants that were once growing in it.

Even the soil in town is dry and brittle, and so with every breeze a cloud of dust is kicked up.

All of their crops have failed.

And that, if one can believe it, is not even the worst of it.

At night, all around the town, you can hear these inhuman cries and growls, mixed with intermittent piercing cries of anguish. There aren’t any living creatures that make such cries… These are the sounds of wights, ghasts, shadows, and ghouls.

I must focus on the living, and the recently departed first, however. I wish my prayers could ease the suffering of those creatures, but… We all know it is impossible.

As for why I blame myself, it is because I keep thinking, if only we had been able to arrive sooner. If only we hadn’t wasted so many days when I was exhausted. If only my will, my faith, were stronger to have resisted that magic. We could have been here when the vampire struck. We could have protected the town!

But I can’t wallow in self-pity now. I have to be strong. The people of Melmond need hope, and I want to do what I can to bring them some.

I must rest. There remains so much to be done tomorrow.


	20. Melmond and the Cries

Leo, Rhys, and Ziv have been speaking with others around town, and occasionally helping by “taking care” of the undead that seem to be some of the only things that can live in this part of the world.

They say “take care” of them, but from my point of view, according to everything I’ve learned as a white mage, they should really say they are “setting them free”.

I feel like I used to understand how the undead came to be.

According to my lessons, if a person or creature, though it is most often humans, dies and they cannot accept their death, their spirit does not leave their body.

Over time, it begins to rot and decay, and they wish to be freed from it, because it is like a torturous prison. Their mind, their spirit, cries out in agony, but cannot escape, and is driven to madness, and if their will is strong enough, which we were told is a matter of when, rather than if, they begin to move again.

But they do not understand what it is like to be alive any longer. To them, a body is a prison. When they see others in a body, their wish to leave their own body drives them to “free” the still living person from theirs.

But they cannot free themselves, or do not know how.

Here, however, there are so many undead creatures. And not merely the animated bones and bodies of the dead, but completely disembodied spirits as well.

Their cries! I cannot even describe them. A cry which pierces your hearing as it cleaves your heart in sorrow.

I find myself praying incessantly for the divine to have mercy and free them, but is there even a spark of the divine left here?

It is as if death itself is our neighbor.

Night has fallen, and so I and Ziv will be travelling outside of town a bit tonight in hopes of setting some of these spirits free.

Their cries are so numerous, I fear we will not even make a dent, but I cannot be idle any longer. I have to do something, for their sakes.


	21. Earth Cavern

We’ve been in Melmond for a week and I’ve practiced my magic more in this past time here than I had in all of my schooling.

I was able to meet with one of the injured village priests and, when he saw what I’d learned, he taught me the magic to return a soul to their body, raise.

It was too late to help those who had fallen on that night, and much much to late to help the tortured spirits.

The others learned that the source of the corruption is the Earth Cavern, so named because, they say, its shafts stretch all the way into the center of the planet. They said that, deep under the ground is where the vampire who attacked Melmond lives, and that this creature is causing the spread of death.

I briefly wondered how powerful this vampire was, and, even if we found him, if we would be able to defeat him.

Our plan had been to hike to the cave and make camp outside, but I don’t think that would be possible, and so we decided, instead, to make for the cave early in the day after getting lots of rest and begin exploring.

This cave was dry, for the most part, despite opening up to swamp land, but it was likely the swamp wasn’t natural anyway.

I will spare you the details of our crawl, except to note that, when we made our way in, and down another set of stairs, there was this amazing amount of commotion from down one of the tunnels, and light seemed to spill out toward us.

It sounded like… It sounded like giants. Rhys said that we should investigate, as… well, he said that giants often hoard, and carry with them, large amounts of gil. Still, I wasn’t completely confident in my ability to use raise magic yet, and so I implored them to reconsider.

After a long trip, including a night spent locked in a room with only a few bats while Leo and Rhys took turns keeping watch — they said it was important for us to get plenty of rest, if we could, so we would be prepared to use our magic against the vampire — we found our way to our target.

When we opened the door and suddenly a bat descended and, changing forms to that of a vampire, he blocked our path.

"Did you attack Melmond?" Leo asked, though I secretly wondered what difference it would make if it were he or another vampire farther in.

It seemed to scoff at us and said, “All living things were born to die.”

I don’t know what happened to me at that moment, but I felt… a rage boil up inside of me. I cried out, “You will pay for what you’ve done!” as I prepared the strongest holy magic I could.

It’s eyes seemed to glow red as it answered my cry with one of its own. ”No one can defeat me, The Vampire!”

It lunged toward Leo, but despite the stories we’d heard about how powerful he was, Leo was able to easily throw him back with his shield.

A moment later, I had completed casting my magic at almost the exact moment Ziv completed casting his, the two spells, powered with fire and holy energy, ripped the creature apart.

As it fell it cried out, “MASTER!”

We all looked at one another and decided to continue forward. How could such a weak creature have caused so much destruction, I wondered.

We soon arrived at the end of the cavern, but the passageway down was blocked with a large slap with ancient glyphs written upon it that, even with all of my studies, I couldn’t even identify the language.

Leo and Rhys tried to lift it or slide it, but there was some sort of powerful magic in place protecting it, and whatever was behind it.

We decided that the magic which hindered us would also work in our favour, and so we rested in that tunnel, Rhys and Leo again taking turns on watch, though we would only stay for a few hours this time.

I was skeptical about this Vampire’s true role, having faced him, but we decided that we would return to Melmond and, over the next days or weeks, see if the land began to heal.


	22. Rebuilding Melmond

We’ve returned to Melmond, after defeating The Vampire, to much fanfare.

The town celebrated, the end of the decay of the earth, but I found I wasn’t the only one who was wary.

A sage told me that, even with the Vampire gone, the earth was continuing to rot, though he didn’t understand why, and suggested I speak with Sage Sarda in a cave far to the south west of town.

After the celebrations, Rhys and Leo were helping the towns people rebuild some of the homes and other buildings that were destroyed during the Vampire’s attack, and Ziv was helping clear away some of the debris, as well as travelling with the guards to help with the undead, which were still a major problem.

For my part, I was helping with the preservation of books and scrolls from the decimated church, which meant I was copying texts that were sometimes badly burned, or even books that had missing pages, to create new copies.

I hope I was able to recall the missing passages correctly, but I feel as though I will have to return someday with originals to replace the temporary versions I’m creating now.

I’ve also been helping take some of the burden off the town’s priests and other white mages. I hadn’t noticed until recently, but it seems as though all of the mental energy I need to use magic properly in combat has made it much easier to use magic while I’m in town, and so I am often able to do more for longer.

It’s really a blessing, in a way. Because of this, the others can often rest, allowing them to speed their own recovery.


	23. The Rot Continues

Several weeks have passed since we put an end to the Vampire of the Earth Cavern, and the jubilation that followed that news has waned and turned to confusion and anger.

We had hoped, even though it felt unrealistic even at the time, that the earth would begin to heal, but after being cautiously optimistic for some time, we’ve had to accept that the symptoms are still occurring.

We’ve decided to pay a visit to Sage Sarda, who some say may have further insights into the cause of all of this death.

The journey took several days, but was, fortunately, mostly uneventful. The worst aspect was trying to rest with the undead around us, but we really had no choice.

The one part which was rather amusing was passing through a cave that the locals seem to affectionately refer to as “Titan’s Tunnel”, where we met a giant who would not let us pass.

"What can we give you?" we asked it, but it would only say it likes "stones".

"What kind of stones?" we asked.

"Shiny stones," it would reply.

Rhys looked down into his satchel for a long while before he pulled out the largest ruby I’d ever seen.

Unfortunately, I only was able to see it for a moment, because the giant grabbed it immediately and ate it!

"Rubies are the best," it said as it moved out of the way.

We found Sage Sarda in a small cave at the tip of the continent, and the first thing I noticed was that, despite being a sage, he was quite adept at the use of magic for combat as his cave was completely secure, despite having only a simple door to enter it.

We spoke with him about the earth’s rot, the death that seemed to hang around Melmond, and he merely nodded. Of course, I thought, he’d learned all of those stories long ago.

But then he asked to see our crystals.

One by one we showed him, until Rhys pulled his out and handed it over to the old sage.

"Yes," he said. "This is the Crystal Orb of Earth. Long ago it shone with a brilliant light," he remarked as he handed it back to Rhys and walked off to a corner of his room to fetch what appeared to be a walking stick.

"Use this," he explained as he handed the rod to Rhys, "on the plate, near where you faced the Vampire. Deep below you will find the true cause of the earth’s rot."

He turned to Rhys and said, “When you have defeated that creature, place your Crystal Orb upon the altar and it’s glow will surely be restored.”

One might think that, after several people had bid us to restore the light to the crystals that we, that I would have understood that they meant the crystals we carry. Yes, in my dreams I can sometimes see my crystal shining brightly, but I thought it just a dream. That these stones will actually shine, given the way they appear now, seems almost impossible.

But, somehow, I knew this sage understood.

When we left I asked if we would return to Melmond first, but Leo shook his head. No, he explained, there was no reason to return to a dying town like that unless we could offer it some more hope than moving a few stones could bring.

"We’re not going to return until the Crystal Orb of the Earth is shining once again."


	24. Lower Earth Cavern

We took our time descending back through the Cave of Earth, though both knowing our path, as well as being able to anticipate the encounters we would face allowed us to descend much more rapidly the second time.

We again decided to rest for a short while in the room beyond which The Vampire claimed as his lair. After we had all rested, Rhys took the rod and tried to pry the plate up, but it was far too thick to fit into the small space.

"Maybe try hitting it with it?" Ziv volunteered, and so Rhys raised it up and drove it with all his might into the center of the plate.

The rod itself seemed to bounce off the surface, and so he prepared to strike again in the same spot, but a moment later it was clear the plate didn’t need to be shattered by force; the magic in the rob alone was enough to break it.

We watched as a ring, matching the end of the rod Rhys carried, seemed to melt into the plate, as if it were a seal.

A moment later glowing cracks appeared to spread from the point of impact, and spidered throughout the entire plate.

Rhys smiled and looked up at us as he moved the rod to push against the plate a final time, but by the time he did so, the plate simply fell, raining upon the ground beneath them.

We all nodded to one another, with smiles thinking that we had moved passed a challenge, when suddenly there was a great sound from beneath us, passing through the now open passage. It sounded as if… It sounded as if a rock had risen up and was growling, is the only way I can put it to words.

Our smiles quickly left our faces, and we continued our climb with the kind of diligence we had when we first set foot into the cave.

I discovered that, indeed, there were animations of earth that roamed through the corridors. Moving carefully, we were able to avoid most of them, but, as we waited for opening, I watched as they moved about.

Though they were made of nothing more than dirt and rock, they seemed to be in torment, and would often float, for they did not walk but seemed to glide above the ground, directly up to walls and pound them as if with clenched fists, seemingly screaming in what I could only guess was agony, until dirt began to rain down from the ceiling.

The first time they did this we all began to panic, thinking that they would cause the tunnels to collapse in on themselves, but it soon became clear this was not something they’d just began to do, and the cave itself, somehow, was able to bear it.

At long last we discovered a set of doors that were closed, and as we approached them Rhys stopped us.

"It’s in there," he said, and though none of us asked how he knew, we accepted that he did.

We backtracked to find a small, easily defensible place nearby, and found one after only a few minutes. Leo and Rhys again took turns keeping watch as Ziv and I did our best to rest our minds, though I’m sure neither of us actually slept.

As I lie there, I had to continuously tell myself that it would be over soon. I could only hope that, once whatever was causing the earth to die was itself vanquished, that the land would begin to heal itself.


	25. The Fiend of Earth

A few hours of trying to rest while our minds raced was not perfect, but it helped me refocus a bit, and, while I did not ask, it appeared as though Ziv had received the same benefit.

Carefully, we made our way back to the doors we had paused at the night before, and stopped.

Typically we have a sort of “formation”.  Usually Rhys leads us, as he is highly adept at sneaking around and spotting traps.  I and Ziv follow him, and Leo, despite being our “leader”, tends to take rear guard, with the idea that anything that sneaks up on us is likely to try and hit us hard.

Before we went in, however, we all stood and looked at the doors for a long time.

They were very elaborate, though heavily worn.  There seemed to be writing and glyphs on them, but, either over time, or perhaps because of the earth elementals, they’ve all faded to be nearly unreadable.

I couldn’t help but wonder what they said.

Rhys looked at each of us, and, as one, we nodded, and he pushed the doors open.

And yet, nothing happened.

We slowly, very slowly, made our way into the room, and closed and barred the doors behind us.  We didn’t want whatever was in here to call in re-enforcements.

The room was also in decay, but seemed to have been elaborately decorated long ago.  Tattered tapestries hung, so worn by time and covered with dirt I had no idea what they could have been for, or even what color they were.

In the center of the room was a ball that swirled with reds, yellows, and blacks.  It was the source of light in this enclosed space.

Before proceeding, Leo lit some of the ancient torches, which fortunately still burned, at least with a bit of coaxing.

At the far end of the room was an altar, or at least that’s what Rhys called it.

"We have to go there," he told us.

"Past the ball?" Leo asked, as it was not possible to walk around the perimeter of the room because of the debris.

Rhys nodded, and so, with our rear blocked, Leo began to walk forward, toward the ball and the altar.

Suddenly the ball, the orb, grew manyfolds brighter, and Leo shouted “down!”

We all ducked just as the ball exploded, sending shards of crystal deep into the walls, the group of us barely able to avoid them.

The swirling light that was once contained had ballooned in size and began to coalesce.

The creature that formed was at least twice as tall as Leo, and seemed to be completely animated bone, wearing a helmet, arm bracers, and perhaps a plate armor chest piece.

I say seemed to because the cloud of red and dark matter didn’t completely disappear, and the remainder encircled it, spinning quickly like a vortex.

It said no words, but merely let out a piercing cry before moving its hands in front of it, gathering frost energy.

Instinct took over and I, more quickly than I’d ever done before, cast a barrier against ice upon us.

Ziv used his mastery of time manipulation on Leo, which would seem to allow him to attack much more frequently, and both Leo and Rhys ran forward to strike.

The battle raged on for quite some time and my focus shifted to and fro; healing the wounds of the others and using holy magic upon the creature.

At long last, somehow, we persevered.  After the final strike, the creature let out a cry and the bones, and armor fell to the ground, the bones shattering to become like powder.

We each collapsed around the remains of our defeated enemy, winded and wounded.

Leo and Ziv drank from our supply of healing potion, while Ziv and I, who were luckily spared from the brunt of the assault by the others, worked to catch our breath and refocus.

Leo was the first to stand, followed by Rhys, who reached into his bag and retrieved the Crystal Orb of Earth, which already seemed to glow very dimly.

Without a word, Rhys approached the altar and set the orb into a small stand and seemed to whisper words I couldn’t properly hear, or did not understand.

Suddenly the room filled with light, and weather that light came from the Crystal Orb, or was shining upon it, I could not know.

It wasn’t mere, ordinary, light, however.  There was some quality about it, and in that brief moment that it filled the room, I felt … light.  Not only physically light, but my mind, and even my heart, seemed to feel at ease.

Rhys reached forward and took the Crystal Orb into his hands and turned back towards us, his face bathed in the golden light emitted from the object was more at peace now than I’d ever seen.

We rested for a long while, all of us in silence, the room now primarily lit by the glowing Crystal Orb of Earth.

Leo unbarred the door and cracked it only slightly.

It was silent.  The roars, the pounding of the earth had stopped.

"We should head back to Melmond," he said, though his voice seemed a bit reluctant to leave this place.

It seemed they all felt as I did.

Rhys said, “Wait…”, and he rose and moved to the back of the room, beyond the altar, to a statue, nearly inset into the wall, that, somehow, did not seem to have suffered the same fate as anything else in the room.

The statue was of a dragon.

Rhys said, “I think, if we touch it, it will bring us to the surface,” as he pointed to the figure.

Reluctantly we all stood around the figure and took in once last look of this place, both with our eyes, and our hearts, and placed our hands upon the figure.

The world around us seemed to warp, and then, a moment later, we were at the surface, just beyond the entrance to the cave.

I looked around at the land, hoping, impossible as it may be, that it would have already begun to heal, but it was much the same.

 _Or was it?_  I wondered to myself, as I spied the smallest flower growing from the rock floor of the entrance to the cave.

"It will be dark soon," Leo said checking the position of the sun.  "Let’s go."

 _Maybe_ , I thought to myself,  _just maybe we are Light Warriors_.


	26. The Return

It had been about a week since we’d been in Melmond, and I think people in town began to wonder what happened to us, and so, when the perimeter guards saw us, they apparently sent word back to town tat we were alive.

When we made it back to town, many of the patrols who weren’t on duty, and even those who were, but within the town’s walls, came to greet us, accompanied by more than a few citizens, as well as a few of the white mages and priests of the fallen church.

"You’re alive!" was the predominate message that we heard. Four strangers wandering out into the midsts of the swamps and being gone for a week usually had a predictable ending, but ours followed a different path.

And then Rhys pulled out the Crystal Orb of Earth.

The object was not as bright as in the altar room, but, since we arrived back close to twilight, it’s golden glow was still clearly visible to anyone who looked at it.

"The Crystal," it began, "It’s shining!"

Whispers spread through the crowd, which began to grow and encircle Rhys.

I was content to stand to the side, though Leo and Ziv remained with our fourth.

It began quickly, and spread through the crowd like wildfire. ”Hail the Light Warriors!” they chanted.

Even standing to the side, I couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed. Not only embarrassed though, please understand. I felt happy, hopeful, and maybe also as if, with their support, we could do so much more.

Having so many people cheering for you is, I shan’t lie, quite exhilarating.

While the crowd began to shift from a unified group to some people cheering our names, others singing or dancing village tunes to the earth, and still others rushing back to their farms to see if the land had begun to heal enough to resume planting, a sage approached me.

He began by thanking me for helping to restore the Light to the Crystal Orb, but he told me that what we saw here was only one part of the greater problem that plagued the world, which he said began nearly two thousand years ago.

I asked him how he knew this, but he only said that was what he was told, and that, if we could restore the Light to the Crystal Orb of Earth, that he knew we could restore the Light to the other Crystal Orbs as well.

He said to me, “You must put an end to the chaos!”

I asked him who we should speak to, in order to better understand, and he told me that we should set sail for Crescent Lake and, once we arrive, seek the council of the Circle of Sages, and, in particular, that of High Sage Lukahn.

He drew a crude map of the lower world so I could better explain to the others where Crescent Lake was, for which I was most pleased. I knew of the city, as it is one of the largest centers of learning in the world, if not the largest these days, but I’d never been, and only had a vague notion that it lay beyond the mountains.

Lest he think he was all about ancient wisdom and old prophecies, he then asked me to join him in a dance!

I confess, I may have given him a odd look, given his age, but he proved to me that looks can be deceiving!

We made our way over to where others were dancing and joined them, and, whether this is my bias speaking or not, but I think he was a better dancer than many of the others there!

The celebrations lasted through the night, at which point people began to retire, some to wake in only a short time, while others, I’m sure, would simply take the day to rest.

For my part, I returned to the Inn with the others and slept until the following morning.


	27. High Seas

I spoke with the others about my conversation with the sage at the Crystal Orb of Earth celebration, and the others agreed that whatever was going on, we should definitely seek the council of the circle of sages.

Our crew, however, were less enthusiastic about this plan.

There are two ways to arrive at Crescent Lake. The first is by sailing around the continent. Sailing to the south is difficult because of the cold, and sailing to the north requires an incredibly long journey and few ports to dock in order to refill our supplies.

The faster way is to sail directly across the Great Southern Sea, but a number of the crew are incredibly hesitant leaving the sight of shore long behind into those open waters.

They talk about storms, rough seas, and, while not direct about it, The Kraken.

I used to think it was only a legend. After all, outside of the tales of long ago, no one has seen this beast.

But, being reminded of this legend, and thinking back to my dreams, I wonder if there isn’t some truth to it.

Leo is meeting with the “first officer” of the vessel in order to come to some agreement. I think that, despite their reservations, we will end up sailing across the open ocean, but we will see.

In the meantime, I’ve been spending some of my time with the children in town, sharing stories with them, as well as playing some games.

One of them said she found a flower blooming today! I hope it’s only just the beginning.


	28. Crescent Lake

In the end, based on the crew’s hesitation to simply sail directly from Melmond to Crescent Lake, around Devil’s Tail, we sailed instead back to Elfland, stocked up on more supplies, and then took the long journey along the coast to Crescent Lake.

The journey, though long, was mostly uneventful. Staying so close to land, even though the seas were rough farther out, they weren’t so bad where we sailed. The wind, likewise, was much calmer than on the open seas.

When we arrived, the group of us, along with a few members of the crew, made the hike into town.

Entering town, the crew members set off for the pub, and we began asking when we might be able to meet the Circle of Sages, as they were known.

It was amazing to see how fast the rumors spread throughout the town. It seemed like we were only there for a few minutes, but people were stepping out of their homes and shops, even leaning out the windows, to catch a glimpse of us as we headed back to the woods where the Circle were holding their meeting.

We entered the clearing after a short walk and saw the sages all seated around on stumps in a wide, yet somehow close, circle.

Leo made to introduce us, but one of the sages, without even looking back, said out loud, “Welcome, Warriors of Light.”

The man stood slowly and turned to face us. ”I am Lukahn,” he said, “One of the twelve sages of our Circle. We have waited a long time for your arrival.”

Leo meant to speak again, no doubt to apologise for the wait as our vessel did take a bit longer than we might have liked to arrive, but Lukahn raised his hand and added, “Not days, but many many years. I was only just finished with my schooling when I first wrote of the prophecy.” He laughed and his gaze shifted slightly downward as he continued, “I thought I was so very wise back then, but the years have taught me how little I truly knew back then.”

The sage looked back up and smiled. “But you did not come to hear the stories of an old man. You have come because you have restored the Light to the Crystal Orb of Earth, and you now desire to do restore the Light to that of the Crystal Orb of Fire.”

Leo nodded in the way only he could, full of confidence, though in truth we had not known exactly what we would do, or what task awaited us, exactly.

"The Altar of Fire lies deep within Mount Gulug, rising up high above the other mountains in the rage, in the interior of Espo Lake. Go into town and speak with the carpenter. Tell him that Lukahn would have to take the canoe he built. I believe it should be large enough for you all, with room for supplies."

"Thank you," Leo replied.

"Pray speak with the other sages before you leave," he said as he swept his hand to gesture to the others. "While it was I who made the prophecy, I am but one of twelve, and we are all equal. Each of them will have advice for you to ensure your trip goes well."

We all nodded and, stepped into the center of the circle, meeting each of the sages as they provided insights, not only into the Crystal Orb of Fire, but also of the imbalance of the elements, and the history of the world’s descent into darkness.

As night fell we returned to the city and went to the inn. The innkeeper refused to accept any payment at first, but it didn’t seem right to accept this gratitude before we’d done anything for the people who lived there.

Since we refused the free room, he insisted that we eat with them. The food was so delicious, and there was so much of it!

Leo seems to be becoming more patient over time, and he agreed to remain in town for a few days before travelling to Mount Gulug so that we may learn more about the area, as well as hone our skills.

I should turn in, as it’s already late, and I have many things I’d like to do around the city tomorrow.


	29. Crescent Lake Day II

Today was a day spent training at the white mage guild.

This was the first time since our journey began that they would not teach me some magic. I admit I was a bit taken back by it, but I am sure they have a reason, and my best interests at heart.

I’ll just have to train more. I need to be at my best; the others in the party are depending on me.

This evening I found one of the sages, Yucie, in town as she was shopping for food and sundries.

We chatted for some time about various things before I asked her if she had any insight into the four fiends.

She looked at me for a long time as she thought, but in the end finally shook her head. ”We have been trying to determine who, or what, they are, but it’s as if a dark cloud lies over them, shrouding them from our understanding.”

"I see," I replied.

"But," she interjected. "I believe that, once the Crystal Orbs have had their power restored that we will be able to see the truth. Already we can see a bit more clearly with only the Crystal Orb of Earth lit." She smiled and continued, "It is not much by itself, but it suggests that will allow us to understand in time."

I smiled and nodded. ”Thank you sage.”

"Please, call me Yucie."

"I am Maryl of Rowan," I said with a bow.

We continued to chat until she apologised saying that she needed to get back with her goods, and it was then that I noticed that it was already twilight.

I returned to the inn to meet with the others just a few minutes ago. We are about to head to the pub, they said, to gather more information, though I suspect Rhys is interested in sampling some of the, reportedly, famous ale they serve.

I can’t really blame him. It’s been awhile since we met with the dwarves and our supply ran out a short time ago.


	30. On to Mount Gulug

It was still quite early in the morning when we loaded our supplies into the canoe we would use to reach the central region of the mountain range where Mount Gulug stood.

Leo and Rhys took turns rowing us down the twisting rivers that emptied into Crescent Lake itself, but quickly entered into what I would only be able to describe as a canyon, yet even this word seems ill suited to describe it.

In truth, the river seemed to have cut straight through the mountain range, leaving only a very small bank at the best of times.

In addition, I didn't quite appreciate the coastal winds that helped cool Crescent Lake city. It was warm, even hot, but now that we've entered into this river system, with mountains on all sides of us, the heat is oppressive.

The others have the option to remove many layers of garments, but I do not have that luxury. Still, at one point I asked that they turn away so that I could remove the lower layers of my clothing and replace it with a lighter cowl I had purchased in the city, which made the experience slightly better.

Yet, even with their luxuries, I couldn't begin to understand how Leo or Rhys felt, as it wasn't only a matter of rowing, but rowing upstream.

The best moments, which seems quite a thing to say, were when we arrived at rapids and would get out of the boat and walk, towing our craft behind us. I say this was these were the best moments because we would get to jump into the water for a bit of a reprieve.

Yet, the farther we went, the warmer the water became.

Leo seemed t have spent quite some time learning the river system with some of the locals, because, to me, it seemed like a maze, and yet he guided us to Mount Gulug without a single wrong turn.

The river was fed by a series of falls along the way, though they, somehow, remained gentle, falling in steps, so that even the base of the falls weren't very rough, so when we came to the end of the river, it was quite calm and easy to slide our canoe directly onto shore.

The valley was green, yet mountains still rose rather sharply, which limited our vision quite a bit.

Our first glimpses of the mountain were obscured by the forest which grew in the valley, but it didn't take long to hike the distance to the lake where we truly first set our eyes upon Mount Gulug.

The mountain, volcano, rose impressively high into the sky, and dwarfed the other mountains in the range, but it was also just as quiet, which was a relief. The thought of climbing into an active volcano was one thing, but climbing through an actively erupting volcano would be too much.

As we were told there was a lake around the island that the mountain actually rose up from. What we were not told, however, was that the water wasn't only warm, it was hot.

Rhys saw the distance we'd have to cover and decided to check how it would be to simply wade across.

I sat in the shade of a tree as he slowly worked his way into the water, which was quite cloudy, preventing us from seeing its depth, and after a few steps it went from being waist deep to him almost falling in over his head.

He swam and scampered back up to the shore and shook his head, meaning we'd have to go back for the canoe.

The hike back was a lot more difficult. Leo and Rhys opted to do the heavy lifting, carrying the canoe over their heads, while Ziv and I carried our packs and supplies. The distance back to the lake shore felt much longer that time, and when we finally arrived, I was more than a little sad that the lake wouldn't be able to provide any relief.

Ziv had an idea, however. We went to collect firewood and built what could become a roaring inferno, if we were to light it, but then we doused it all in water from the lake. Finally, Ziv focused some of his strongest ice magic on the pyre.

I was glad I was some distance away, because when the spell manifested, the smaller bits of branches shattered and flew off at quite a rate. Still, it had worked! There was now a large ice formation which even looked quite a bit like a roaring fire.

It began to melt almost at once, but it lasted long enough to provide at least some temporary relief from the heat.

Our trip took longer than Leo had hoped, and so we opted to spend the night in the forest.

I tried to sleep, but it was incredibly difficult because of how warm it remained, even into the dead of night.

The others opted to sleep in their small clothes, and joked with me when I began to blush and turned away. After all we've been through, they said, even if we were naked would it really be so bad?

I'm not sure, but I kept my cowl on as I slept. It was warmer than I'd like, particularly with the continued lack of wind, but it couldn't be helped. Even though I trust them with my life now, it's too embarrassing to wear so little around others, and doubly so to do so around a group of men.


	31. Into the Mountain

I had never truly known heat until today.

We awoke early, though I barely slept. We piled our belongings into the canoe, made the short trip across the lake, and then Leo guided us to a cave that lead down into the mountain.

Even at the entrance there was a steady current of hot air, and when we began our descent I felt as if I were walking into an oven.

And yet, as before, after walking through the tunnel, which seemed to follow a spiral about the outer wall of the crater, we came upon a set of well worn, but still distinctly shaped, stairs. Stairs into the heart of an active volcano.

We descended the stairs into a large open cavern where much of the floor slowly boiled around us, and tried to make our way across the older, cooler rocks. It was incredibly slow going, at least compared to how we usually made progress. Though he would never mention it specifically, it was clear that the heat was taking its toll even upon Leo.

What's worse is that it was almost impossible to rest as both the floor and most of the walls were scaldingly hot to the touch.

After a short search we discovered not a cave that lead further down, but another set of stairs that followed the same large spiral downward for a time before turning a corner and descending into another large chamber, but this chamber was very unlike the last.

The ceiling was quite high, but all of the walls were carefully carved and rose perfectly straight from floor to ceiling. Even more strangely, just beyond the bottom of the stairs was an impossibly large set of doors that seemed to be made of a once highly polished marble with intricate inlays including worn runes that I could not read.

Leo and Rhys prepared to push the doors open, but once they applied pressure they found they opened quite readily, even after all that time.

Beyond the doors were more walls, and even from our perspective then it was plain that this area was laid out as a labyrinth.

We made our way through, slowly, as we encountered a range of hostile creatures, including the pyrolisk, a cousin of the cockatrice, it is said that if the anything locks eyes with its gaze it will burst into flame.

On the surface we had encountered giants, often accompanied, or preceeded by, lizards, and the same was true within the volcano. Yet these creatures were not only larger, the giants being likely three times as tall as Leo, but they were actually on fire.

During the fights against these creatures, Leo would stand before us merely blocking the creature's powerful, yet mercifully slow, blows, as Ziv worked his magic to defeat them, occasionally with startling effect.

We found a few more of those doors along the way, suggesting that this area had not, at one time, been meant to be difficult to proceed through, but the exits lead to only small patches of rock surrounded by slowly bubbling magma, until we arrived at the final door which opened revealing another set of stairs which descended deeper.

This floor, as well as the following, were similarly carved out by forces other than nature, and yet if they had once been created to progress toward the altar, which no doubt exists in its depths, time had spoiled it.

Up until this point it had been possible to find our way around these hot spots, but no longer. The stairs lead down quite a ways and here there was a patchwork of rock and what Ziv called "cool" magma, though I could see nothing cool about it. Leo volunteered to try crossing one of the shorter paths first. He placed his foot, lightly at first, upon the rock and pressed down, but it did not yield. He crossed it quickly though it was clear it was a painful process.

We all followed suit, and I was glad that these sections were as spread out as they were because, even with my magic to ward from fire, they took a toll on us.

The following floors, however, became increasingly more difficult to cross, with us sometimes finding large sections of the floor near the boiling point and no refuge in sight.

In retrospect it's amazing how far along I've come that I could even weather such challenges. Even as recently as meeting up with the others I'd never considered venturing near an active volcano, let alone descending ancient stairways into its heart.

The final set of stairs were alarming.

They were carved the same, at first, but then they led into a cavern that must have been over a 100 fulms high, and these stairs descended directly into the center of it with no benefit of a railing. I descended so slowly and fell into position behind the others, hoping that if I should fall they would catch me before I tumbled off the side.

Like in the Earth Cavern, there were elemental spirits wandering about crying and shouting in anguish, occasionally pausing to explode in a fireball before moving on a moment later.

The sight filled me with a combination of fear and sorrow.

We quickly made our way to one corner of the large chamber and took refuge in an alcove that they seemed to either be unaware of, or unwilling to venture near.

It was then that we saw the large doors, similar to those in the Earth Cavern, and though I could not be certain, very similar runes.

It was almost inconceivable, but at these depths we finally did find a spot, there in the alcove, where the floor was not exactly cool, as one would expect in a cave, but merely warm. We took the opportunity to rest briefly and tend to our wounds, though each of us alternated between watching out for the elementals, and wondering what would greet us on the other side of those doors.


	32. The Fiend of Fire

Unlike their previous trip deep into the Cave of Earth, the others knew, or suspected, that they would not simply enter the chamber and find the Altar of Fire, but that it would be guarded by one of the Elemental Fiends.

Leo took the lead, followed by Ziv, I, and finally Rhys, but we immediately spread out upon entering the chamber.

Immediately the doors behind us slammed shut with great force and the glowing orb which sat within the dias began to crackle with power.

"Is it you, the tinder that defeated the Fiend of Earth and now disturb my sleep?" the orb shouted. "I, Kary, will now show you the force of fire, and you shall burn in its flames!"

We hadn’t a moment to prepare, and though I suspected something like this would happen, I couldn’t help but yelp in surprise as the orb shattered and the form of a many armed serpent with the body and head of a woman appeared before us, all but two of her arms holding an ornate sword, her hair a tempest of flame.

She gazed quickly to each of our faces, as if assessing our potential and judging each unworthy.

Leo let out a cry and charged in as Rhys worked his way around toward her flank, trying not to draw attention to himself, while I leaned my back against one of the columns, peeking beside it to watch and when I’d have to use curative magic, while Ziv prepared to cast his magic on our enemy.

Kary smirked at Leo, not fazed in the least by his cry, as she struck his shield in quick succession with her blades, pushing him back slightly.

She brought two of her hands together and a ball of fire began to grow within them, and I acted as quickly as I could to cast a protective spell on us all.

Fortunately my casting had improved quite a bit since I first began, and the glimmer of light enveloped each of us a moment before the ball of fire exploded, bathing everything in the room in intense flame.

Even with the protective magic, we each sustained serious burns, and I began at once to heal our wounds.

At this point Ziv’s casting had finished, and a great lotus of ice erupted from all around the Fiend, snapping shut and shattering against her form.

She cried out in agony, clearly having never felt anything like that before, and turned her sights directly upon Ziv with such furry as I’d never seen the likes of before.

It was the perfect distraction, however, as her hatred of Ziv blinded her to the attack which came from behind as Rhys plunged a blade into her back, and used another to cut deeply into one of her arms.

Again she cried out in agony, and whipped her head around to face the other.

Leo smiled, or I think he did. I wondered later if he knew that this was the turning point in our fight. We were united in our purpose, and her attention was now divided: attack the mage to prevent the cruel ice magics from crushing her further, or make quick work of the man who had come from behind her.

"Fools" she cried out, and immediately an explosion erupted from her and threw both Rhys and Leo to the walls as if they were nothing more than a doll.

She turned to face Leo, and my mind raced with thoughts of how I could protect him as my heart pounded.

But I was not fast enough, and a ring of fire gathered below his feet and shot up into a pillar of flame which completely consumed him within it. A moment later it exploded with such force that I hadn’t experienced sing the TNT exploded in the mine.

Reflexively I ducked, covered my ear, and closed my eyes.

I heard the sound of metal falling against stone, and when I turned I saw that Leo, normally so stalwart, had collapsed.

The fiend had turned and set her sights upon Rhys now, her form beginning to coil for a strike.

I knew I had to do something.

Somehow, without really thinking, I stood and let out a cry, which distracted her for a moment.

As I stood there I cast more quickly than ever before, shouting, “Invisible! Haste!”

Her eyes trained upon me and I ran toward Ziv, diving behind the pillar.

Somehow he caught me and pulled me up toward him as he pressed his back into the pillar just as a ball of fire smashed into the floor where I’d once stood.

None of us saw what happened next, but there came a great many cries from the fiend, followed by the sound of one of her swords hitting the ground, and then, finally, a cry of anguish.

"No! You can never defeat me! I am the living flame! I shall burn everything!"

But then there was nothing, and the room returned to near darkness as her flame burned out.

There was the sound of metal scrapping across the floor, and both Ziv and I stepped out from behind the pillar to see Leo being dragged by the still invisible Rhys.

He pulled Leo’s helm off and, even in the low light, I could see just how grievous his wounds here. I fell to my knees beside him, tears streaming down my face, as I closed my eyes and concentrated my strongest healing magics on him.

The others tell me that my hands and face began to glow, and that, slowly but surely, Leo’s worst wounds were healed as they watched.

I was pulled from my trance as our leader suddenly gasped for breath.

"Leo!" I cried as I threw my arms around him and pressed my face into his chest, a gesture that the others would tease me about for the next several days.

Much of the rest was a haze as the intoxication of the battle faded and I simply felt drained.

Ziv approached the altar slowly with his crystal held in his hand, it’s faint glow lighting the room.

Then, as he placed it upon the altar, like the Crystal Orb of Earth had done in the Earth Cavern, a bright light filled the room, and filled us with a great feeling of calm and hope.

Leo stood and insisted that he could walk.

When we stood in the woods outside Mount Gulug it was twilight and the air felt refreshingly cool in contrast to the way the air inside had felt.

The following day we made our way back to Crescent Lake, though Ziv insisted that Leo rest and he and Rhys would row, though it was certainly easier going back as we were moving downstream.


	33. Return to Crescent Lake

It took much less time to return to Crescent Lake than to travel to Mount Gulug, which I thought was very fortunate. Even if Leo was back with us, and appeared to be well, I knew from experience how weak he must be now.

Not as much as I was, of course. He's a soldier, and he was much stronger and had a lot more stamina than I. Still, when we were about to return back to town I told him he should rest, and he raised an eyebrow to me. I realised I'd never given an command to any of the others, though they'd certainly given them to me, and blushed with embarrassment.

It surprised me when he admitted it was the right thing to do, and that he would heed my advice.

Our return to the city was much less heralded than when we returned to Melmond. Perhaps it was the seeming lack of urgency? After all, their city had not been attacked, nor were they worried of famine.

Quite the contrary, in fact. The climate had been altered for so long, and the fires in the forest so common, that people had begun to think of them as just an aspect of life. While I'm sure they're glad that the fires, at least, will cease, it just wasn't the same here as there.

Which was quite fine with me, truth be told. Gatherings with so many people, happening so frequently, was beginning to be difficult.

I like time to myself to rest; to think through experiences. Crowds can make me uncomfortable after a time.

While Leo rested and Rhys and Ziv headed for the tavern, I walked toward the grove where the Circle of Sages would meet, but instead of going there, I sat under a tree just beyond the city's walls, rested, and thought.

"You've succeed," Sage Yuice stated quietly.

I hadn't heard her approach, but I wasn't startled, somehow. I looked up to her standing between I and the sun and saw only a sillohet.

I nodded to her, but before I could ask how she knew, she replied, "We all sensed it. There is greater clarity to our visions, though, I'm sorry to say, no new answers."

I nodded to her again. "Would you like to sit," I asked.

She smiled, or perhaps she did, it was difficult to see her face, but she sat beside me a moment later.

The two of us enjoyed a time of silence. Though I know not what her mind must be thinking, I was enjoying the simpleness of it all. The sounds of the birds, and the cool, gentle, forest breeze.

And yet there was something I had on my mind, yet didn't know how to bring up.

How she knew to voice concern is another mystery that I will likely never know, but she turned to me and asked, "What is troubling you, child?"

"I'd heard a rumor that there are no ports in the north, and yet we have to travel there for our last crystals, unless I'm mistaken."

The sage nodded and explained, "It's true. The violent seas, which have raged for such a long time now, have turned much of the norther lands shores into palicades. Even in the costal city of Onrac, the wild currents had tossed so many ships against the rocks, and the docks, so long unused, have fallen into disrepair. Even if you could navigate there, there wouldn't be anything to lash your ship to in order to keep it safe."

"I see," I said in disappointment.

"There is, however, a legend that, in the northern city of Lefein, there were a great armada of ships that could fly through the air!"

I laughed when she first said it. "An air ship?" I asked, but she did not laugh, but continued to explain.

"It sounds impossible, I know, but they said there was a stone that could be used to float objects much larger than it."

I nodded and asked, "Why do they not fly now?"

"Their civilization has seemed to have fallen, and none have seen the ships for many generations now."

I turned away in disappointment, but she said, "There were rumors that one of their ships was hidden in the Ryukahn Desert desert, to the south of Crescent Lake, and the floater stone, which allowed it to fly, was hidden deep within the Ice Caverns to the northwest."

"If you could find those, you would be able to sail the skies and journey to the lands of the north."

I smiled and nodded. It was ridiculous, to be sure, but what other options did we have?

"Thank you, sage."

She smiled and rose, and after some parting remarks, walked back to wherever she had come.

I, on the other hand, decided to remain where I was for awhile longer. Before our adventure, I'd taken the ability to rest and contemplate in the forest, or on a grassy hill, for granted. Now, however, I wasn't about to waste this afternoon.


	34. A Little R and R

Though I expected Leo to want to rest for a few days, we were back in Crescent Lake for only one full day and he was insisting that we continue our quest, investigating the rumors of this "air ship" in other cities, which meant sailing back to Elfland.

For his part, Leo did agree to rest while we sailed. The crew knew their way, after all, and there was no reason for him to remain on deck.

It seemed as though the crew had quite enjoyed their time in the city, but were rather thrilled with the prospect of getting back out on the water. A few said something about only being able to find so much tail, even in a city like Crescent Lake.

I'm not quite sure what he meant, but when I asked the others just laughed at me.

In Elfland Ziv and Rhys took it upon themselves to investigate the rumors in the town, while Leo stopped in to visit the Prince.

I decided to visit the mage guild to see if they knew anything, and just to catch up.

I also brought back some of the local cheeses from Crescent Lake, which are particularly creamy, I found, to share with the others.

We returned to the inn that night and exchanged the information we'd received.

Leo said that the Prince had heard stories about the Sky Knights, but they were always told as myths, and he had heard the Lefeinish civilization had fell long ago.

Rhys and Ziv came back with better leads, however, including collaboration of the Sage's information. I admit that I felt vindicated when I heard that.

An elf said that there was a river to the north of Crescent Lake that empties into Full Moon Bay that will lead us directly to the Cavern of Ice.

They also insisted that we bring lots of clothes, as even in the unnatural heat of the area, the interior of the cave remains as cold as its name would suggest.

Ziv also said that another elf had actually seen, many years ago, what he thought was the bow of a great ship buried in the Ryukahn Desert, but admitted that when he brought other back to see what they could do with it they couldn't find it.

Still, we had what we came for, which was a reassurance that we were on the right path.

Rhys also said that someone had told him that there's a chain of islands to the north, strung across the middle of the Great North Sea, where dragons are said to live, and that if we were to prove ourselves to them, their leader would bestow great power upon us.

I'd heard the dragons had long passed from this world, as no one had seen or heard from them in a great many years. In truth I always thought they were just stories.

We were originally going to sail along the coast, past Crescent Lake, and into Full Moon Bay, but the crew expressed a, how shall I put it, strong desire to return to Pravoka, and I'd heard some of them talking about visiting the Dwarves while we were travelling.

Given their help thus far, and perhaps owing to the fact that only they could sail the vessel, Leo agreed that hiking from Provoka would be acceptable.

A couple of days later we arrived back into the Aldean sea and I was again treated to a sunrise from the deck of the Hilda, and it reminded me of the first time we crossed these waters.

Though I'd seen many sunrises by them, there was something special about one over the Aldean sea.

We arrived to Pravoka without incident, and the harbor, and city itself, were bustling with trade once again, and so we took this opportunity to stock up on food, extra clothing, and a cart to more easily travel with our canoe.

The others were happy to sleep in the inn, after some days on the ship, and before that in Elfland. The beds there were, apparently, a bit small for them.

We set out the following morning through the valley that lead to the bay, and the North River, spending the night upon its shores after a full day of travel.


End file.
